AL Kennedy argues that our obsession with gossip is affecting our public discourse, and corrupting its content.

She traces the history of gossip, explores how gossip is edging out real news and how it's taken over our political lives.

"Gossip obscures truth" she writes, "sours our outlooks on each other and can trivialise any debate". She concludes that "we really could do with a lot less of it".

Producer: Adele Armstrong.